Lights, Camera, Advertising

Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about the career path I've chosen. To be completely honest with you I chose the advertising career path on a whim after high school. I originally wanted to study film. My entire life I grew up going to lessons at “Miss Betty’s drama school”, participating in school plays, community theater shows, high school musicals, took voice lessons, joined choirs, played piano and even had the amazing opportunity to perform in Carnegie Hall. I dreamed of gracing the stage in a Broadway musical after every trip we took into NYC to see a show. There was something so captivating to me about being able to become a character and enter a new and exciting world. So why didn't I pursuit that dream? Well first of all I am incredibly clumsy and would have made a horrible waitress. I've got a feeling I would be waiting on more tables than I would be starring in feature films. I also don’t think my parents ever would have approved. Not because they don’t appreciate the arts but because they want me to have a successful comfortable career in which I’d be able to take care of myself. I don’t blame them.

Then I got to thinking about the “normal” working world. There are so many people that went the safe route and got a 4 year business degree. The sad thing is that a lot of them are waiting tables as well. So why is it that I, at 22 years old, already have the beginnings of an amazing career in the advertising industry? Two big things came to mind.

     

          1)  Working in the advertising industry (as well as many other business careers) is a lot like working as an actor. You need to be able to build your personal brand image and be able to sell yourself. Having the ability to convince someone that you are the perfect answer to their job description needs is a must. I’m not saying that in order to sell yourself you should sell yourself as someone you’re not. Please don’t ever to that. But you need to study yourself in a sense. What are you really good at? What can you say about yourself (that’s true of course) that will make you the star of the hundreds of interviews that people go through? One simple interview, or even email, is enough to change someone’s mind about you. Growing up and being involved in theater has taught me to use my strengths to my advantage and down play the things I might not be so great at. Being able to sell myself has gotten me some pretty amazing opportunities in the 22 years I've been on this earth. Every interview is an audition and you have to leave the employer hanging with something they just can’t forget about you to get the role.

    2)    Creativity is a large part of what makes someone in the advertising industry successful. I mean let’s be honest. If you can write a piece of copy about duel flush toilets that makes everyone want to run out and buy one the next day you’ll probably do well in this industry. This time it’s about being able to sell an idea. Movies are founded on messages. You might not necessarily agree with the message. You might not have any idea what the message is about. But when you have a character that can bring the message to life on screen things change. You now have the ability to make someone think and feel in a way the might not have originally. That’s exactly what advertisers do with products. It’s amazing what people will buy when they form a connection with it. You have to be able to take yourself out of your own skin and become someone different. By doing this you can grasp a deeper understanding of why someone might connect to a product. Why would this product or idea resonate with “Susan” a 35 year old single mom living in Chicago? When you’re in your own skin it’s sometimes a hard thing to do. Being able to see and feel though someone else’s eyes allows you to understand people on a whole other level. I know what you’re probably thinking. Those darn advertisers are always convincing me to buy things I really don’t want or need. Well that’s definitely not my goal in life. But to one day be able to create an ad that really moves someone or makes them think is a pretty cool thing to think about.

So maybe my advertising career isn't going to land me on Broadway. But it’s pretty neat to think that my love of theater and film can still tie into my career in advertising. At least to an extent. It’s nice to know I've found something that I not only enjoy but that I’m good at. I might not be accepting an Emmy award anytime soon, but I can always hope to be as successful as some of my greatest mentors and take home an Addy one day!

Tortoise Talk

Lately I have been spending my lunch breaks taking my aunts tortoise out for a walk. Partially because I have nothing better to do and partially because he literally will run into the same corner of his tank for hours trying to escape and it is unbelievably annoying. All I hear all day is thud, thud, thud as Poikey attempts to make a break for it. Unfortunately for him he doesn't have opposable thumbs. I have to give credit to the little guy he is always optimistic and never gives up. After a few laps around the porch he is usually tired out enough to nap for a few hours which gives me some peace and quiet to do my work. Today was different though. Today I went out to lunch with my teammates so I decided to take him out for a few minutes when I got home. Typically he will walk around, explore, and munch on some yummy looking leaves. But today he decided he needed a little extra attention. I placed Poikey on the porch and sat down to read though emails on my phone and within a few seconds I felt him tapping on my leg with his nose. Typically for a tortoise this behavior is used to determine whether something is edible or not. But he wouldn't leave me alone. He would tap on my leg than look at me and pose. I'd get up and place him all the way across the porch and within a few minutes there he was again, tapping on my leg, then posing. I finally decided just to snap a picture of him with my phone. As soon as the picture was taken he turned around and headed off on his way. The cheeky little diva just wanted his picture taken. I was able to read his sign language and give him what he wanted. And hence my ability to speak tortoise. I wonder if I can put that on a resume?

Poikey's Glamor Shot 

 Earlier today I met with my teammates for lunch. I've only met one of my team members face to face since I started working. I have to tell you it's a real adventure trying to find out who you're meeting for lunch when you have no idea what they look like. I did have LinkedIn pictures to go by but that was it. Unfortunately those weren't much help. I accidently introduced myself to one of the waiters because I thought he was the guy in the picture. Opps. Luckily I found the one guy that I have had face to face interaction with and he introduced me to everyone else. It's nice to know that there are actually real people on the other end of the phone! 

Overall today was a pretty good day. It’s also been a reminder that my life is, and always will be, an adventure. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Laughing My Dentures Out

Week four: The week in which you start to question whether you actually have any idea what you're doing. It's hard to believe that it's already week four. The past few weeks have been a blur of meetings, new clients, new projects, and learning so many new things. I am starting to become more comfortable in my role as an account manager but I would be lying if I told you there weren't days in which I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. I'm not sure if there is ever a point in anyone’s career path in which they feel like they know everything. Luckily I have a reasonable amount of logic and common sense and can usually figure things out. And when that fails I can rely on the comforting words of one of my teammates - "Just go for it! You can't screw it up too badly!” I suppose that's kind of reassuring. 

 One of my most challenging projects has been setting up a Twitter page and creating a following for a memory care living retirement facility. For those of you that don't know these facilities are retirement homes for people dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. You get 140 characters to send a message and considering text abbreviations such as "BTW (Bring the Wheelchair), FIWI "Forgot Where I Was", and LMDO (Laughing My Dentures Out)" probably aren't the most appropriate uses of text I have to be a little more creative. I have to say though I do appreciate the humor of the older Twitter population. I came across one lady whose profile read: "Please follow me. I enjoy followers because all my other friends are dead." I really hope I have her twisted sense of humor when I am in my 80's. I’m also hoping that she was being dramatic and that in reality not ALL of her friends are dead.

In other news I’ve discovered that it costs $2.75 every time I want to wash and dry my clothes. Ain’t NOBODY got time for that! My aunt tried to sign me up for basket weaving at the farmer’s market. You know, just in case this advertising career doesn’t work out. Oh, and I almost died in a horrible storm this week. I’ve never been as terrified in my life as I curled up in a bathtub almost in tears. We were always taught that the bathroom was the safest place to go in case of a tornado. But let’s be honest...if a tornado hits your house and you don’t have a basement to hide in it’s game over. Kind of like the false security you get when someone tells you “You can’t screw it up too badly” so “just go for it!” Funny how these things tend to come full circle.

The good news is that I am alive and well and ready to finish off week four of my first real job. Wish me luck!

Wacky Doo the Clown

Today, after a long day at my computer working, I decided to grab some fresh air by taking a walk to the local Food Lion. I wasn't in need of any groceries but it is a perfecty distanced landmark to take a little hike to. With my IPod in hand I set off on my walk. I made it to the grocery store and decided to continue my walk by going up and down each of the isles. ( Yes I know... I need to find some activities to get involved in!!!). After a nice stroll through the produce isles and some time spent reading through People magazine I decided it was time to head home. 

I made it back to our complex and as I walked through the parking lot I discovered a new neighbor that I wasn't so sure about. Many people have a fear of clowns and honestly after watching "It" (worst life decision ever) I have to say I'm not a huge fan. The un-settling part of this whole clown situation stems from the clowns name "Wacky Doo". I mean seriously who wants to live near a creepy clown named Wacky Doo? This is the perfect beginning to one of those horror films. Just the picture of this guy alone is frightening. Luckily I have yet to see him walking around...but I know he's here! 

For now I am trying to keep an open mind. For all I know he could be a sweet old man with a passion for clowning around. Regardless my clown radar will now be working at full strength at all times! 

Hello North Carolina!

Well...I did it! This 6 year old little kindergartner with the paper hat is all grown up and moved to NC! 

It still doesn't seem real to me that I live in North Carolina now. And I have to admit it was a little hard to leave home. It's so easy to get comfortable in a living situation. Then all of a sudden...poof!...it's gone! My family did have a pretty good send off for me though. Like any good mother my mom sent me off with ice cream cake for breakfast and a bottle of mudslide mix. Thanks Mom! You're the best! 

Best Breakfast EVER! 

With my fish packed up in their travel bowl we started the 7 hour trip to my new adventure! I am happy to report that we made the entire journey with no floaters! Carl and Lenny made it safe and are happy to be back in their normal sized tank! 

Carl and Lenny had fun on their first big road trip! 

I am very fortunate to have my aunt in the area so I made the decision to move in with her for a few months so I could save up for a place of my own. The apartment is nice and I'm grateful to have a familiar face to visit with in the evenings. 

We do have a third room mate. He's a bit slow...and green...but he doesn't cause much trouble so he's ok to have around. Poiky is my aunts pet tortoise. Luckily for me he doesn't need a bedroom and sleeps in the living room! 

Poiky the tortoise 

Sunday I had the chance to do some exploring around Charlotte. The parts of town I spent time in where quite nice. It's funny to see so many mansions on the outskirts of a big city. A few of the surrounding suburbs definitely rivaled Buckhead in Atlanta, and that's saying something! For those of you know who don't know what Buckhead is just think "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and you should get the picture. The mall is also quite impressive, although I don't think I will be able to afford Gucci and Prada anytime soon! 

My aunt and I decided to grab lunch at a favorite local hotspot called the Rusty Rutter. It's a cute place on Lake Norman and it was beautiful. Everything I experienced around the city re-affirmed my decision of moving close to Charlotte. I've only been here for a few days and I am already in love! 

View from out lunch table on Lake Norman

My first few days here have been busy but fabulous! I can't wait to do some more exploring. Unfortunately that whole work thing takes up a lot of my day! But I have to admit I love what I'm doing. I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity! 

I could go on writing forever about the things I've done these past few days but it's probably best to call it good for tonight! This girl is exhausted!